Meet James Thomason of Mountain Man Beard Products in Talking Rock

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2000, I was fired from Corporate America. I entered into a low point in my life. I decided to grow my beard as a form of defiance toward the “man.” After a few months of awesome beard growth, I noticed that I was going to need some help in styling it. I soon started to use women’s hair and styling products. That was a total disaster. I am an avid motorcycle rider and I could put enough gel and hair spray in my beard to where my hair would not move from Jasper GA to Daytona Beach FL. I was miserable. My beard my stiff and hard to manage. I started to use essential oils in my beard instead.

I then started to experiment with mixing different oils until I came up with, what I believe, is the best beard oil blend for my beard. I had no desire to nor did I have the knowledge on how to start a beard company. My friends starting asking me about my beard, because it looked so awesome. I started to give a way the blends I created. Slowly, I decided to sell the products here and there until finally…I caught, what I call, beard fever. I shut down my other business and went all in and created Mountain Man Beard Products. Currently, we sell in all 50 states and we have shipped products to 6 different countries. In 2017, my sister Dina and I have traveled to 60 shows promoting MMBP. It is so funny to me that the promoters that did not want anything to do with us in the beginning stages are now paying MMBP to come to their events. At Mountain Man Beard Products, we only sell products I invent. My mother, my sister and myself make every product. We are the first beard products to ever be approached to be sold in WalMart.

For a few weeks, I thought I was going to be an instant millionaire. However, I realized I had at one time, earlier in my life, sold my soul to corporate America. NOT AGAIN. I decided that Dina and I will travel the world in our 6×12 trailer that we now have air and heat in. We set up at festivals and concerts doing free beard tune-ups all day while meeting some of the most amazing people in the country. A beard tune up consists of me teaching you how to shape and style your beard by using our products with the hope that you will never trim or shave again. That is right. Beard tune-ups will always be free at MMBP. It is funny- we never try to sell Beard oils, even in our advertising and commercials. But we always manage to pay my bills and my family’s bills. At MMBP we do not seek fortune and fame. We do seek laughter, and interactions with the amazing people across America.

By far, now, I have the least amount of money I have ever had. But I am the richest man inside that you will ever meet. You see, it took MMBP and a furry face to make me realize God had something more in store for me than making someone else rich. With that being said, thank you for reading my bio. Always remember, I love you, Jesus loves you and there is nothing you can do about it.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Since starting MMBP the road to success has been paved with a few downhill slides, but not many. The Lord has always blessed us, even when I thought we wouldn’t have enough gas money to get back home from an event we were at. My worst day at MMBP is better than my best day working for the “man.” I look back now at the challenges and see that they have been molehills and not mountains.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mountain Man Beard Products story. Tell us more about the business.
The thing I am most proud of is to be able to introduce a product that I invented. I created. I know the smiles that I see on my beard families faces after they try MMBP for the first time. At MMBP we pride ourselves on doing things the old-fashioned way. My company slogan is… one beard at a time.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I do not believe in luck. Not one bit. I do believe in favor. I believe when you are working where the Lord wants you, the favor will follow.